


It Takes A Village

by SeaofSin



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Introducing Child, chosen families, maxicest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 04:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4507005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaofSin/pseuds/SeaofSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wanda has heard the phrase before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Takes A Village

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Pally_the_second, who requested Maximoffs and their daughter interacting with the Avengers.

Something that had entirely shocked Wanda was the reaction she received from the team when she had made the announcement that she and Pietro wouldn't be part of the Avengers for a while, due to Wanda's pregnancy. Their reaction was nothing short of stunning, something neither Wanda nor Pietro were quite expecting, and certainly much appreciated.

Wanda had gathered the Avengers in the kitchen prior to morning exercises, one hand resting on her slightly swollen abdomen, the other twined with Pietro's. Her belly hadn't become noticeable, not quite yet anyhow. In a month or so, hiding her condition would become a little harder to do.

"So, what's up? Why'd you two call us here?" Sam asked, a smile on his face and a mug of coffee in his hands. Sam really was a morning person, he seemed much more vibrant at the early hours, and Wanda couldn't help but envy him a little for that.

"Pietro and I are resigning from the team for a little bit. We've got personal matters to attend to." Wanda said, gripping Pietro's hand fiercely, her eyes darting over to examine his reaction. He seemed amazingly at ease, his face positively beaming with joy. He's been so enthusiastic since the first day she's found she was pregnant, his delight barely able to be contained, and it certainly showed in this moment with the gleam in his eyes and the wide smile on his lips.

"Hmm? How long? You've only got five sick days left, fair warning." Steve mentioned, taking a long, deep swig of his coffee before immediately reaching for the pot so he could refill his mug.

"Quite some time." Pietro responded with a shrug, ever the blunt one.

"Very helpful, Pietro." Steve retorted, giving her brother a cunning smirk. "Wanda, you want to elaborate on what "quite some time" means? Your brother is being so charming this morning."

"Pietro and I won't be returning, Steve. Not for a while." Wanda explained calmly, giving Pietro's fingers a reassuring squeeze. He wanted to take her away, to hide her and protect her from this, from any possible backlash there might be, she could sense it. No, there would be no hiding, there would be no shame. Their love was real, legitimate, and if someone on the team wanted to complain about the product of that love, then they would have to do so to her face, and experience her disdain wholly.

"Oh? And why is that?" was all Steve had asked, not even looking up from his coffee. The man seemed to live off of it these days, working long nights and drinking endless cups of caffeinated beverages by day.

"We're expecting. We've both agreed that we want to be there for our child, and that superhero work is a bit too risky for that. We will do big missions, if you absolutely need us, but we want to raise our family together." Wanda replied bluntly. She saw no need to mince words, might as well put the whole truth out in the open.

The clatter of porcelain shattering against the tile of the floor and the splash of the coffee over the counter resounded through the kitchen, the remainder of the Avengers turning to face the twins with wide eyes and shocked faces.

She hadn't anticipated the sheer amount of joy emanating from her teammates, hearing their congratulations instead of jeering and shrieks of anger or fear. She supposed she _should_ have expected the kind response, the team had come to know of her and Pietro's relationship six months prior. Shouts of joy and well wishes immediately followed her announcement, as well as several hugs and pats on the back.

"Congrats, kid, you're going to be a fine father." Wanda could hear Clint say to Pietro, patting him loudly on the back as Sam charged up towards her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

"You two must be thrilled. You planning to make the kid a junior Avenger?" Sam joked, pulling away from Wanda to playfully punch Pietro on the shoulder. "When they're old enough, you can take them here to the facility, and we can show them the ropes, make a real Avenger out of them."

"Isn't that why they're leaving? To get away from our nonsense?" Natasha quipped. "But in all seriousness, you two really should bring the kid here. Not to make them an Avenger, but so we can get to know them."

"I suppose when they're a few months old we can make our first visit. We just want things to be quiet at first, and this place is anything but." Wanda chuckled.

* * *

 

Wanda's pregnancy had progressed normally, and soon enough their daughter, Mayra, was born. Eight busy months had passed before they received their first call.

The phone was answered to a noisy chatter, seemingly seven different voices all speaking at once, until someone shouted "They picked up! Everyone, quiet!"- most likely Tony.

"Hello? Maximoff residence." Wanda chuckled in response, gesturing to Pietro, who was currently on the floor playing with Mayra, rearranging blocks into tall towers so she could knock them over, a shrill shriek of delight escaping her lungs every time the rubble was immediately repaired, and she could destroy it once again to her heart's content. Pietro gathered Mayra into his arms and padded over to Wanda, who placed her phone on the counter, turning on the speakers.

"Who's calling?" Pietro asked, intending the question to be directed at Wanda, and instead was answered by Sam.

"You've already forgotten about us? Harsh." Sam teased, his voice full of mirth.

"He's already forgotten his family? Time to hang up." came Clint's response.

"As if. Couldn't forget about you guys if I wanted to. What's up? You've got a mission for us?" Pietro asked, handing Mayra over to Wanda before leaning his elbows on the kitchen counter.

"Family needs to have a mission in order to be able to call?" Rhodey said, his voice a bit muffled, as though he was squished between two other teammates. The mental image of all of the Avengers huddled around a single phone suddenly came to Wanda, eliciting a hearty laugh from her lips.

"Yo, wonder twins, when are you two going to stop by at the facility? It's been ages since we've seen you! How's the kid? Need uncle Tony to babysit?" came Tony's voice, seemingly from the back of the group, most likely shoved there by the rest of the team.

"And by that you mean you pretend to babysit until you realize you're terrible and have Pepper do it?" Pietro joked, carefully stroking Mayra's downy silver hair, bringing a smile to her face.

"I'm good with kids! I don't know why you have it in your head that I'm bad with them! Did Nat tell you that? I bet it was Nat!" Tony rambled, sounds of protests from Natasha (and Clint) dimming his volume.

Wanda shot Pietro a joking look, mouthing the words "our family" at him, drawing an amused huff from her twin.

"We're just not quite ready to leave her alone with anyone." Wanda explained, cooing gently at her squirming daughter.

"Well then, what about a group visit? You guys could visit the facility." Rhodey suggested, causing Wanda and Pietro to glance over at one another, their expressions curious.

"Maybe another time? We don't want Mayra to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people." Wanda said, rocking the infant in her arms. "So far it has only been just the two of us raising her together."

"Aw, come on, Witchie! You know what they say: it takes a village to raise a child!" Clint chimed in cheerfully.

Wanda has heard the phrase before. It had actually come up in conversation between the two of them, a few months prior, regarding the possible influence the Avengers could have on their daughter. Both she and Pietro were certain that their chaotic little group was, while no where near the "perfect" community they wanted to be that metaphorical village, the best group they could possibly ask for to help raise their daughter, all conflicts aside. In the end, the Avengers were family, in some odd, abstract manner of speaking, and they deserved to be a part of Mayra's life.

Wanda grinned down at the child in her arms before glancing over at Pietro, who had a contented smile on his face. "You know what? How about we visit this week? Tomorrow sound good?"

* * *

 

Pietro was surprisingly cheerful the next morning, despite the protests he made the night before. He believed that this might have been a mistake, that they had to take care of Mayra above anything else.

"They're just... they're all so amazingly powerful, and I'm terrified. If someone hurt her, I'd never forgive myself." Pietro had explained, burying his face in his hands.

Wanda had wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder after his confession, pulling him into a warm embrace and running her hands through his hair soothingly. "Pietro, listen, I understand; We're parents, it's natural to want to protect our daughter. But you seem to forget that we are powerful too. They would never lay a finger on Mayra with the intent of doing her harm, you know that, and I know that."

"I know, I know. But I'm just so terrified that something could happen, and that I would be to blame. Like, what if some psychopath decides to attack the facility tomorrow? Or if someone..."

"Pietro, darling, everything will be alright. Your mind is whirling around far too fast. You and I both know that Mayra will be safe. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but there's no need to protect her from what isn't there. Focus instead on how happy she will be to meet new people, how happy the Avengers will be to meet our daughter... Can you just imagine the look on Barton's face? He's going to be thrilled to know he's no longer the only family man on the team." Wanda whispered, pressing a tender kiss to Pietro's forehead.

Pietro uttered a quiet, almost relieved, sigh, leaning into her embrace. "You're right: I shouldn't be so worried." he had whispered, kissing her cheek.

The next morning his anxieties seemed to have dissipated, and he was cheerfully buzzing around the kitchen to prepare breakfast before they went off.

"You're in a good mood this morning. Feeling better?" Wanda asked after their meal, resting her palm on his shoulder as he lifted Mayra out of her high-chair.

"I am. I've thought about what you've said. Those guys may be crazy, but they gave us a place in this world, gave us support we never thought we would have, especially regarding the two of us having a baby together. They've done so much for us, the least we can do is allow them to be a part of our lives." he replied, securely wrapping Mayra in his arms.

"Pietro, I know how stubborn you can be, and I'm proud of you for letting them in. It's been difficult for the two of us to adjust, and I'm so glad to hear you say that." Wanda mentioned, kissing his cheek before moving into Mayra's bedroom to fetch her a coat.

"I want Mayra to grow up in a community where she is accepted for who she is. Our friends are the only ones I know who would welcome her with open arms." he explained, helping dress a wriggling Mayra in her warm coat. "How about you, Mayra? You ready to meet mommy and daddy's friends?" Pietro cooed, rocking their daughter and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, drawing delighted squeals from her.

"I suppose that is a 'yes', come here, you little cutie!" Wanda sing-songed, extending her arms for Pietro to carefully place their child into, and pulled Mayra into a warm embrace as the family shuffled out towards the car.

The air was crisp, as it was wont to be on a brisk fall morning, and the skyline seemed to simply explode with the vivid colors of autumn leaves. The facility must be gorgeous this time of year, Wanda mused, it had so much life teeming around it, the trees must have been simply bursting with color. She's missed it, the color, the vivacious energy, her friends... It certainly would be a joy to see them all again.

Mayra was squalling happily the entire car trip, her tiny fists flailing around in excitement. "She's a smart girl. She knows that car trips always mean something exciting." Wanda chuckled, brushing back Mayra's soft silver hair as they made their way out of the car and towards the entrance of the Avengers' facility.

"She's going to be a bright one. Yes you are! You're a smart little one!" Pietro whispered enthusiastically, allowing her to wrap a hand around his finger before he leaned in to press a kiss to Wanda's cheek.

It seemed that everyone was anticipating their arrival, even those who were no longer active on the team were present at the door, pushing and shoving in order to make their presence known as they all shouted greetings.

"Is that the little angel? She's adorable!" was the first shout, from Sam, who immediately shoved his way to the front of the group to coo at her.

"Yes, this is our daughter. Would be horrifying if we showed up with someone else's daughter instead." Pietro chuckled, pride beaming from every centimeter of his being.

"Well, she's a cute kid. You two must be proud." Steve beamed, giving a friendly smile to Mayra, as Wanda slowly began to rock their child in her arms. In response, Mayra gurgled ecstatically, flailing her tiny fists around as she examined the room with her wide green eyes.

Natasha, who was looking over Steve's shoulder, chimed in with "Looks like she's got daddy's hair and mommy's eyes. Who's a precious little princess? You are! You are!" A delighted squeal came from their daughter, who extended her tiny arms in an attempt to grab Natasha's finger. "Why did you two take so long to show her off?! We were beyond thrilled when we got Pietro's call, but you two fell off the map ever since then. Eight months of no communication! Please tell me you two have photos of this little cutie growing up!"

"What kind of parents do you think we are? Of course we have photos." Wanda chuckled, resting her hand on Pietro's shoulder, knowing her next statement would embarrass him. "Pietro couldn't stop taking them, he has about three from each day since she was born. Ten if she was doing something especially cute that day. His phone is absolutely littered with them."

"Not _that_ many, more like two a day." he muttered.

"Well, my friend, you better bring them out for us, I want to see them. Can't you send us a group text from now on with daily photos? We'd love to see her grow up." Sam laughed, extending his arms so Wanda could carefully place their daughter in his embrace. Beside her, Wanda could feel Pietro begin to tense, primed to race over in the event of something going wrong.

"Uh, sure. I guess I can do that." Pietro answered awkwardly, his eyes fixated on Mayra. He was nervous, Wanda could feel it emanating from every cavern of his mind, from the nervous energy his body seemed to be emitting. He was practically vibrating with anxious vigor, all too ready to spring to Mayra's side and keep her safe in his arms.

Extending her hand to him, Wanda gave him a reminding squeeze, hoping to ease his tension. Pietro turned his head towards her and gave her a subtle nod, his body relaxing beside her.

Steve managed to slide out from the crowd, and snuck up behind the twins, giving them both a quick pat on the back. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, let's not just crowd the doorway, come on in, you're back home."

They decided to order some takeout, sharing brief conversation as they ate their lunches and exchanged stories about missions that the Maximoffs had missed, and stories of raising Mayra as Pietro's phone was passed around the group. Somewhere in the middle of lunch, Clint decided to ask an interesting question.

"So, you two planning to tell her that you're... You know... twins?" Clint asked, waving his mug of coffee in the air for dramatic effect. "Wouldn't that be weird? Having your uncle and aunt as your parents, and your own siblings also being your cousins? I mean, I get it, you two love each other like crazy, but it might be hard to explain to a little kid, you know? So are you two going to do that?"

Wanda cocked her head to the side, pondering this. "Pietro and I have actually come to the agreement that, yes, we will. We want our children to know that we are siblings. It's important to us, it's part of our relationship." she explained, resting her palms on her knees. It was a bit strange to say, she was sure most people in her situation wouldn't make it known, but it was a huge part of their relationship, and hiding it would benefit no one, least of all Mayra.

"I guess that makes sense. I was just wondering, since we still refer to you as 'the twins'. Might have gotten awkward if you didn't want your kids to know." Clint said, resting his mug on the table before leaning back into his hands, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Well, even if that were the case, they're still siblings before anything else. It would have been weird to deny that part of themselves." Tony mentioned with a shrug.

The twins had never been more relieved to hear their teammates' support.

After lunch, the Maximoffs decided that they should head home; Mayra was growing exhausted, and the Avengers needed to return to training.

"You two better come back soon! Auntie Natasha wants to spend more time with her niece." Natasha joked, waving a friendly goodbye to the three of them, a faint hint of a smile on her lips.

"You two better send me some of those photos! Laura is dying to see the little princess!" Clint called out, waving enthusiastically at the twins.

Steve smiled, his arms crossed over his chest as he called out: "Goodbye! See you three later!"

"Oh, we will! Perhaps next month?" Wanda grinned, waving at the retreating form of their teammates through the window of their car. In her arms, Mayra softly began to snore, exhausted by the events of the day. Out of the corner of her eye, Wanda could see Pietro's wide grin.

"You know, I was a bit hesitant at first. They're a bit crazy, but I honestly couldn't think of a better community to raise our daughter in." Pietro mentioned spontaneously, his quiet voice breaking the silence in the car.

Wanda simply smirked, responding in a hushed whisper "Well, it is as they say: it takes a village to raise a child."


End file.
